Patty and Azalea | Page 5

of Farnsworth and two
men who had arrived for the house party. These were our old friends,
Philip Van Reypen and Chickering Channing.
Still a devoted admirer of pretty Patty, Van Reypen had become
reconciled to his fate, and moreover had discovered his ability to take
pleasure in the society of other charming young women.
Channing was the same old merry Chick, and he was exuberant in his

praise of the beautiful home of the Farnsworths which he now saw for
the first time.
"Great little old place!" he exclaimed, enthusiastically. "But why such
an enormousness? Are you going to keep boarders?"
"Yes, if you'll stay," laughed Patty. "But, you see it was a bargain,--so
we snapped it up."
"The old story," put in Bill. "Man built it,--went bankrupt,--had to sell
at sacrifice. Along came we,--bought it,--everybody happy!"
"I am," declared Elise; "this is the sort of place I've dreamed of.
Beautiful nearby effects, and a long distance view beside. This porch
for mine,--all the time I'm here."
"But you haven't seen the other places yet," Patty demurred. "There's a
tea-porch--"
"Wistaria, too?"
"Yes, of course."
"Lead me to it!" and Elise jumped up, and made for the house.
Then they all strolled through the wide hall and out at the back door on
to the tea-porch. This was furnished with white wicker tables and chairs,
and indeed, was prepared for immediate use, for a maid was just
bringing the cakes and crumpets as the party arrived.
"Goody!" cried Elise, "can we have tea now, Patty? I'm famished."
"Yes, indeed," and Patty took her place at the tea table with a matronly
air, and began to pour for her guests.
"It's just as pretty as the other porch," Elise decided, looking critically
at the festoons of wistaria, which was on three sides of the house. "But
I'll adopt the first one. Anybody looking for me will find me
there--'most always."

"We're always looking for you," said Channing, gallantly, as he took up
his teacup, "and it is a comfort to know where to find you. Of late
you've been inaccessible."
"Not to you," and Elise glanced coquettishly from under her eyelashes.
"To me, then," put in Van Reypen. "I've not seen you, Elise, since I
came back from Over There. You've grown a lot, haven't you?"
"Taller?"
"Mercy no! I mean mentally. You seem more--more grown up like."
"Everybody is, since the war work. Yes, Phil, I have grown,--I hope."
"There, there," warned Patty; "no serious talk just now, please,--and no
war talk. For the moment, I claim your attention to my new house and
its surroundings."
"Some claim you've staked out," and Chick grinned. "I want to see it all.
And,--moreover,--I want to see the rest of the family!"
Patty beamed. "You dear!" she cried; "do you really want to see my
daughter?"
"My daughter," Farnsworth added; "but I didn't know you chaps would
be interested in our infant prodigy. I never cared about seeing other
people's babies."
"I do," stoutly insisted Channing. "I'm a connoisseur on kiddies. Let me
see him."
"He isn't him," laughed Patty, "he's a she."
"So much the better," Chick avowed. "I love girl babies. Where is she?"
"You can't see her now, she's probably asleep. To-morrow she'll be on
exhibition. I hear a car! It must be Mona!"

"I'll go and fetch her," said Farnsworth, springing up, and after a short
time he returned with two newcomers, Mona Farrington and her
husband, Roger.
Then there was more greeting and exclamation and laughter, as the
latest guests admired the new home, and accepted Patty in her
becoming role of hostess.
"To think of little Patty as the chatelaine of this palatial ménage!" said
Roger, "and actually acting as if it belonged to her!"
"It isn't palatial," corrected Patty, "but it does belong to me,--that is, to
me and my friend William. He vows I claim the baby for all my own
property,--but I'll accord him a share in the place."
"It all belongs to me," said Farnsworth, with a careless sweep of a big
arm. "The wistaria, Patty, the baby, and all!"
"That's right," agreed Roger, "keep up your air of authority as long as
you can! I tried it,--but Mona soon usurped the position!"
"Nonsense!" and Mona smiled at her husband. "Don't you believe him,
Patty. We go fifty-fifty on everything,--as to decisions, I mean. He
gives in to my superior judgment half the time, and I let him have his
own foolish way the other half. Follow my plan and you'll live happily,
my dear."
"Are we your first company?" asked Elise.
"Yes,--except Father and Nan,--and a few calls from the neighbours.
This is my first house-party. And I do want it to be a success, so I'm
going to depend on you all to